The Great Tang's King of Provisions

Chapter 7: Life and Death, Joy and Sorrow—Two Opposing Worlds

Seeing Li Xuanba standing before her with a faint smile, Du Xingxuan bit her lip with her pearly teeth and glared at him with hatred. “Hmph! You of the Li imperial clan are nothing but traitors who burn their bridges after crossing the river. Even if Li Shimin becomes emperor, so what? Can that lofty position truly understand the suffering of the common people?” “Haha!” “Du Xingxuan, there’s no need for such bitterness! On the ninth day of the eighth month in the ninth year of the Wude era—the Jiazi day—my second older brother ascended the throne. Now that he’s emperor, he will certainly clear your father Du Fuwei’s name and vindicate him!” Seeing the flash of resentment and grievance in Du Xingxuan’s eyes, Li Xuanba laughed heartily, but his next words left Du Xingxuan and the others utterly stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief. Upon hearing Li Xuanba’s words, Du Xingxuan looked bewildered and muttered to herself a couple of times, then fixed her gaze intently on Li Xuanba. “How… how is that possible? How can you know something that hasn’t happened yet? Will my father’s innocence really be vindicated?” “If I say it can happen, it will! I’m a divine being who has descended to the mortal realm!” Though Li Xuanba’s words were spoken with absolute certainty, he inwardly muttered to himself: As long as I don’t alter the major course of history in this era, everything will generally unfold as it should—I just won’t know the exact timing. That was what Li Xuanba thought, but would things really turn out exactly as he imagined? “Master really can clear his name and vindicate him! Heaven, open your eyes! Uh! Please—please—take care of the young lady and Shuangshuang.” Du Hongzhuang was so overcome with excitement upon hearing Li Xuanba’s words that, after muttering a few phrases, he shouted twice with fervor toward the sky. Then, after making his request to Li Xuanba, he closed his eyes and passed away right then and there. However, judging by the rosy glow that had returned to his face, it was clear he had passed away content and with no regrets! Seeing Du Hongzhuang pass away just like that, Du Xingxuan froze for a moment. When she came to her senses, her eyes reddened as she knelt beside him, burying her face in his side and weeping bitterly. “Grandpa Zhuang, Grandpa Zhuang, what’s wrong? Grandpa Zhuang, sniffle! Don’t leave me, Grandpa Zhuang! What will Xingxuan do without you?” “Waaah! Grandpa! Don’t leave Shuangshuang behind!” After Li Xuanba had revealed his identity a moment earlier, the little beggar standing nearby had gone blank. But as soon as Du Hongzhuang passed away, he snapped back to his senses, threw the rabbit leg he was holding onto the ground, and—ignoring his hunger—threw himself onto his grandfather Du Hongzhuang’s body, weeping bitterly. However, from the sound of her sobs, Li Xuanba could tell that this was actually a little girl. Inside the dilapidated temple, the old beggar lay dead, and the two girls wailed uncontrollably, while Li Xuanba stood in the middle, his mouth twitching. Damn it! Is this some kind of joke? Just a moment ago you were seething with hatred toward me—so why are you now entrusting these two little girls to me? Li Xuanba grumbled to himself, opening his mouth but unable to bring himself to refuse. It wasn’t just a matter of respecting the dead—these two young girls had lost their guardians, and who knew how they would survive in the Tang Dynasty, where a golden age coexisted with the turmoil of war. If he refused, he’d probably feel guilty about it himself! Oh well, I’ll just think of it as taking care of two little sisters. Since he’d been an orphan in his previous life, having two younger sisters all of a sudden wasn’t so bad. Only after the two girls had cried their fill—their eyes red as hearts, each face streaked with two trails of tears, revealing their lovely features—did Li Xuanba rub his nose and say, “Well, the dead must be honored, and the deceased should rest in peace. Do you have the necessary items prepared for his funeral?” “Waaah! We’re just beggars now—do you really think we have any of those things?” Hearing Li Xuanba’s words, Du Xingxuan replied with those two sentences, her beautiful eyes fixed on Li Xuanba’s youthful face, unsure whether she should thank him or hate him! Li Xuanba had brought news that her father’s wrongful conviction was about to be overturned—which was cause for joy—but this very news had also led to Grandpa Zhuang’s sudden passing. Caught between grief and joy, Du Xingxuan’s emotions were deeply conflicted. “No way! You’re Du Fuwei’s daughter! Didn’t you bring any spending money or anything when you left?” “Um… Never mind, forget I said anything.” Seeing Du Xingxuan’s calm expression, Li Xuanba rubbed his nose. Du Fuwei’s entire household had been raided—if the three of them had had any money on them when they escaped, they certainly wouldn’t have let the two young girls end up begging! “As the Prince of Wei of the Tang Dynasty and the greatest hero under heaven, don’t you carry any money with you?” Du Xingxuan wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and fixed Li Xuanba with a cold stare, making him can’t help but feel suspicious. “You’re actually right—I really don’t have any money on me. Just look at me—do I look like the type who would?” As he spoke, Li Xuanba spread his hands wide to show he was completely unburdened. When he had woken up, the only piece of clothing he’d been wearing had turned into fine sand. Now, aside from this outfit made of pale green leaves, he truly had nothing. He’d even spent all the system-issued copper coins on farming—he couldn’t withdraw a single penny! If he’d known this would happen, he could’ve planted one mu less—that would’ve brought in a little money! “Ahem… Is there anyone in Lantian County who’s kind-hearted? I’ll go ask them for some. Or maybe there’s a landowner or local bully—I’ll just go and take some by force.” As he asked this, Li Xuanba fixed his gaze on Du Xingxuan. He would, of course, treat anyone who was kind-hearted with courtesy. But when it came to those landowner bullies, he had no patience to deal with them. As for the so-called forcible seizure of people’s property, he really had no qualms about it—since they were landowner bullies, they deserved to be treated like landowner bullies. “Meihua Restaurant! You can go to Meihua Restaurant. The proprietress there is Sister Mei. She’s a kind-hearted person who often gives alms to beggars in town. We frequently receive food from her as well. If you explain the situation to her, she’ll definitely give us money so we can bury our father and grandfather,”Before Du Xingxuan could speak, Du Shuangshuang, standing beside her, spoke in a clear, ringing voice. Though her eyes were still filled with sorrow, she managed to finish her story amidst her sobs, revealing that this young girl possessed a certain measure of intelligence. “No! Sister Mei is going through a difficult time right now; we can’t trouble her any further!” No sooner had Du Shuangshuang finished speaking than Du Xingxuan immediately interjected, flatly rejecting her suggestion. She then fixed her beautiful eyes on Li Xuanba, her calm tone carrying a hint of cool detachment—and a touch of provocation. “Li Xuanba! If you’re truly capable, go to the Hongyun Casino. The owner there is called Hong Dangtou. He’s always bullied men and women and preyed on the villagers. Because of his Hongyun Casino, countless families have been torn apart—it’s no exaggeration to call him utterly depraved! If you can do it, go there and bring back the money.” Li Xuanba waved his hand at Du Xingxuan and the other girl, then turned and strode out, saying as he walked, “Heh heh! Alright, I’ll go get some money right now!” Li Xuanba seemed completely unfazed by Du Xingxuan’s goading words, but inwardly he shook his head and smiled wryly. His newly adopted little sister was quite sharp-witted—she even knew how to use the “goading” tactic. Too bad it didn’t work on this young master!